CSA Tribunal - Advise please??

[LittleBabyLucas]

My ex is working and has been since November. He has been told he must back pay CSA, he hasn't.
HMRC have confirmed he is working.
He wrote a letter to the court saying he was on JSA, he wrote a letter to the CDSA saying he wasn't on any benefit and is refusing to work until he see's his son (county court have said no to contact due to DV) and the latest is that he wants DNA evidence that he is actually the dad (not been with anyone until well after the police got me out of the house!!)
Now ive had to force the CSA to send it to a tribunal.
He obviously doesn't want to pay for his kid. His family have told me he has been on a 2 week all in holiday to Turkey 2 months ago and is currently in Thailand on yet another holiday. I don't think they would lie to me as we have always got on and they advised me to leave him when they found out what he was doing during the relationship even tho this meant them not being able to see DS until everything at the court has calmed down.

Has anyone been to a CSA tribunal? What can expect? does anyone have any advice?

Thanks xx

Gosh, he sounds like a waste of space.

He is simply putting off the inevitable because he will have to pay child support backdated to when the CSA opened the case. If necessary the CSA will take the money directly from his wages.

I would provide the CSA all the evidence you have that he has accepted paternity in the past (birth certificate etc) - and point out that although the CSA will not link access to child support, your Ex himself refers to 'his son' in a previous stalling tactic.

Good luck and take care of yourself. Focus on being calm and factual.

I have. Ex took us there to try to say he shouldn't have to pay (needless to say he hadn't read all of the information and the Judge was thoroughly confused as to why he had taken us there, and I won.)
It took us 7/8 months to get the date and you will both be able to submit 'evidence'. Any proof you have about his work, his emails to people confirming what he is doing/whether he will pay for his kids or has been saying he won't etc. Try to keep it consice though as ex had pages and got his dad to write a horrible letter and it just looked ridiculous. The court is only interested in facts, not emotions.
It was a fairly informal set up - I asked to sit in another room as ex is the type to launch into a shouting match in public, so you can ask for that if you like. We went in and the judge made it clear she only wanted answers when asked a question - no other talking.
Luckily for me ex isn't very good at listening and worked himself into a huge strop shouting about me and showing himself up. I just stayed quiet as the judge had asked. He showed his true colours and the judge looked as if she had 'seen men like him before'
You are both allowed someone else in with you. He took his new g.f who sat behind us making whimpering noises and looking outraged if I answered something the judge asked. It was no big deal for me, as I was glad she had a chance to see what he is really like. She wasn't allowed to speak though. I decided to do it alone but actually wish I had taken a friend for a little support (was very anxious about seeing him and no idea what would happen) and afterwards it would have been nice to go over the 'highlights' (he said so many funny things with no interest in DD at all - even saying would he hear about it if I got Sectioned? To which the judge actually rolled her eyes and said "I don't think that is very likely, do you Mr X?").
The Court will send you information if they need anything, just be sure to read it all carefully. At this point I don't think you need a solicitor, but they will tell you if you do.
The Judge also said that they usually let the couple talk amongst themselves if an agreement can't be reached to try to resolve the problem, but as ex was being so aggressive she said she didn't think this would be beneficial in this case. She even let me go out a little in front of him (usher had called me back as we were apparently meant to leave together) because she could see how angry he was and thankfully didn't make me walk out of sight with him.
It seems a lot scarier when you are waiting for the Court date than it does on the day :)
Hope that all helps and good luck!

Oh and there is meant to be a link up to CSA but our contact was away on the day so we just had the 3 people - Judge, Usher and typist in with us. CSA took one look at it and said they sided with me - they wrote to him to confirm to both of us that as he was bio dad they didn't see what he was arguing about.
Needless to say he used to hang up on them so they didn't think much of him!